Cas, Dean, and Some Rings
by Sirhith
Summary: Weddings are weird, but Cas has convinced Dean to do a ring thing. Co-starring Sam as the unsuspecting best man. Rated for language.


Dean doesn't want to get married, and he's made that perfectly clear to Cas. Putting on a tux and standing at the end of an aisle at this point in his life, considering everything he's been through, seems a little useless. Weddings are for normal people, and Dean knows "normal" isn't his defining characteristic.

But Cas gets him to come around on the idea of exchanging rings. No flashy ceremony, no guests or anything, just the rings and each other. And Dean can even admit to himself that he kind of likes that plan. He likes the idea of looking down at his left hand and being reminded of Cas.

So they pick out some silver bands and decide to do it one day. Dean opens the velvet pouch the salesgirl wrapped them in, and shakes them out into his hand.

"You ready?" he asks.

"Of course," Cas says. They're standing in Dean's room near the open dresser. Dean's not really sure what to do next or how to start this thing.

"Hang on," he says finally. "I need Sam here." Without another word he leaves and goes to find his brother, and by this point in time Cas just knows he's supposed to follow.

They find Sam in the library, sitting at the table and eating oatmeal while he clicks around on his laptop.

"Hold these," Dean says unceremoniously, sticking his fist out towards Sam.

"Hmm?" Sam kind of tips his head in Dean's direction, but it's clear he's finishing whatever paragraph he was on before the interruption.

"Gimme your hand," says Dean. Sam turns up his open palm and Dean passes him the rings.

"What the…?" says Sam, staring at the jewelry, then up at Dean, then over to Cas and back to the rings. Dean gives Sam the benefit of the doubt that he'll get there eventually, and he turns to face Cas.

"Alright, I guess I'll go first." He tries to ignore the clattering as Sam closes his laptop and practically flings his oatmeal on the floor in his haste to make everything just a little more formal.

"Okay." Cas squares his jaw and waits.

"Okay." Dean takes a breath and lets it go. "You… you. Cas, I've been with a lot of women. But nothing stuck, and I was mostly fine with that. And then I met you and it started to make sense why nothing else ever felt right." Dean takes another deep breath. "I was waiting for you this whole time. So today the waiting ends for good, 'cause I wanna be with you, Cas. And I'll protect you from whatever, even though you don't need it. And you can have whatever side of the bed you want, and if anyone tries to take you from me I'mma break their jaw. And I love you. And thanks for loving me, too." Dean clears his throat. "And… that's it."

"That is a hard act to follow," Cas says. "But I'll do my best."

"Yeah, now it's your turn to promise stuff," Dean says, somehow only turning red now that his vows are done. "Whatever comes to your mind. Don't stress about it."

Cas takes both of Dean's hands in his own. "Dean."

"Standin' right here."

"Be serious, please," Cas says, but he's smiling.

"Sorry. Go ahead."

"I have existed since before the world was formed. I have walked throughout the courts of Heaven, and I have seen unending glory and truth. And then one day I was commanded to pull a righteous man out of the chasm of Hell." Cas straightens the lapel of his trench coat and replaces his hand on top of Dean's. "And I was desperately afraid of my mission, of leaving the only home I'd ever known, and the fact that I might fail and disappoint my Father. But I had the radiance of your soul leading me where I needed to go. And when we returned to Earth together, with me occupying this humble vessel, I knew I would feel an unbearable ache to be apart from you for any length of time."

Dean's eyes are fixed on Cas'. He has never heard any of this before.

"It's been said that we have a profound bond, and we do. But I love you not because you are the righteous man set aside by Heaven, but because you are the most headstrong, loyal, amusing, self-sacrificial man I have ever had the privilege to know. And you are now, and will always be, my only love."

There is a silence as Dean tries and fails to keep the tears from escaping.

"Well shit," Sam finally says. "Take these before he changes his mind."

So they do. Cas gives Dean his hand and lets him slide on the silver band, and then he takes the remaining one and Dean watches as the ring glides over his calluses and knuckle to rest at the bottom of his finger. And he just loses himself in how it looks for a second, and how much he likes it. And before he knows it Cas has pulled him into a kiss, and Dean's hands are in Cas' hair, and everything is right and they have made it. They have finally made it.


End file.
